The situation in Ukraine has changed drastically. The war has caused loss of life, injuries and mass movement of the population to neighbouring countries. According to UNHCR, over a million people have already fled. They indicate that if the number of refugees continues to rise like this, it could be “the biggest refugee crisis this century.” In collaboration with OHCHA and the Connecting Business initiative, UN Global Compact created the guide ‘Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis’. The Guide provides concrete action for businesses to support the Secretary-General’s three-month Flash Appeal for people in Ukraine, and a Regional Refugee Response Plan for the situation outside, under the leadership of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a substantial role in the health and stability of the global economy. In Europe, 99% of all business are SMEs and they contribute to more than half of Europe’s GDP while employing over 100 million people.

However, when discussing topics of social change like sustainable development and diversity, equality and inclusion, oftentimes, SMEs are left out of the headlines. And this could be for many reasons. Maybe it is because there are too many SMEs to collectively take action, or SMEs feel like they don’t contribute to global emissions as much as larger companies so they do not see the urgency. It could be that people think they are too small of entities to contribute and make change. This notion is incorrect. Whether you are a large corporation with hundreds of employees and multiple locations or a microbusiness with just one or five employees, every organisation is capable of making positive change. We can even argue that it is exactly the smallest, quant and uniqueness of SMEs that make them the strongest and most influential contributors towards a more sustainable and inclusive society.

Sustainable innovations in tech

A well known example is innovative technology companies. These are the tech firms that are creating new innovative machines or devices that allow us to be more energy saving, sustainable and efficient. Each new invention creates a new possibility for more sustainable means of productions that reduces our carbon footprint. This could be through developing an invention that optimizes horticultural water through purification and filtration, or a cheaper way to generate energy through open space windows. So, how do other SME sectors, like service or hospitality contribute to creating an

inclusive and sustainable society? We at Blueyse, a growing international communications agency, do not contribute through a product or an invention, but rather through an action. As social communicators, we bring awareness and contribute to the stories of those looking to make change. We are also a participant in the UN Global Compact. Through events, promotions and research, Global Compact helps us and the other participants by sharing knowledge and resources on what we can do to engage in sustainable and inclusive activities. By giving organisations an open access portal to networking, learning and engaging, businesses are able to better integrate stronger work practices and business models promoting the Sustainable Development Goals and Ten Principles.

Drive change as an SME

There is still so much to learn about what we as individuals and what SMEs can do, so our agency provides an education hub through supporting the UN Global Compact and researching topics of diversity, transgressive behaviour, sustainability and inclusivity. These are sensitive topics. For change to happen, there need to be some difficult conversations. It is easy to use some buzzwords here and there, but often they do not show the actual meaning behind them. This is why we want to share stories of people’s lives and show how these “buzzwords” are not just words, but actual living, breathing people dealing with these issues and why they are enacting change. We contribute by sharing one or a million stories that might change the minds of a couple of individuals to make better choices and contribute to a better future where everyone is included.

Resources:

https://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes_en

https://www.kvkinnovatietop100.nl/site/Water-IQ-International-Water-is-de-basis-van-de-teelt

https://www.kvkinnovatietop100.nl/site/PHYSEE-Energie-via-de-ramen

https://www.kvkinnovatietop100.nl/site/Knakwortel-Plantaardige-hotdog

New York, NY, United States of America

24 February 2022

We are seeing Russian military operations inside the sovereign territory of Ukraine on a scale that Europe has not seen in decades.

Day after day, I have been clear that such unilateral measures conflict directly with the United Nations Charter.

The Charter is clear: “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”

The use of force by one country against another is the repudiation of the principles that every country has committed to uphold.

This applies to the present military offensive.

It is wrong.

It is against the Charter.

It is unacceptable.

But it is not irreversible.

I repeat my appeal from last night to President Putin:

Stop the military operation.

Bring the troops back to Russia.

We know the toll of war.

With deaths rising, we are seeing images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine.

People – everyday innocent people – always pay the highest price.

That is why the United Nations is scaling up our humanitarian operations in and around Ukraine.

Today I am announcing that we will immediately allocate $20 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to meet urgent needs.

We and our humanitarian partners are committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need.

United Nations staff are working on both sides of the contact line, always guided by the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity and independence.

We are providing lifesaving humanitarian relief to people in need, regardless of who or where they are.

The protection of civilians must be priority number one.

International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld.

The decisions of the coming days will shape our world and directly affect the lives of millions upon millions of people.

In line with the Charter, it’s not too late to save this generation from the scourge of war.

We need peace.

Thank you.

Themes such as hunger, poverty, inequality, deforestation and climate change already worried the new generation of leaders at that time. Het Financieele Dagblad was the loyal media partner of this whirlwind one-day event and released a FD special every year. In five years, some 1.200 future leaders participated in the event. That gave a lot of energy and the hope that the new generation would do things differently. All those top talents who wanted to actively contribute to a more sustainable and fair society.

We are now more than a decade further. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. Sustainable development is included in the business strategy of many listed companies. Board members and senior managers are increasingly being stimulated to achieve the sustainability objectives through financial incentives. The social and political pressure on the business community increased enormously. Legislation and regulations are becoming more stringent and institutional investors are increasingly critical following the non-financial performance of companies. Looking away is no longer possible. Today, top executives of companies are therefore explicitly expected to have a social and ethical antenna.

Therefore, you would expect that today’s generation of young professionals have an active role in the realization of the SDGs and the sustainability transitions that the business community will endure in the coming decade. Because in the areas of climate change, biodiversity, circularity and safeguarding human rights in the supply chain alone, the challenges are enormous. And from the perspective of leadership development, one might expect young top talents to master the world of sustainable development at an early stage of their careers in order to be prepared for future top positions.

But in recent years I have discovered – as Executive Team Coach of the Young Professionals Program (YPP) of Global Compact Network Netherlands – that this assumption is not self-evident. Let me put it even more bluntly, many young top talents are not actively involved in this strategic business agenda at all. Many YPP participants have not yet actively come into contact with the world of the SDGs and sustainable development within their company in their young careers. And that applies to many more future leaders who are now developing their careers within the Dutch business community.

And that is rather strange. Because when I look at the motivation and drive why all these young professionals sign up for the YPP and what motivates them, they are all passionate about making a difference and positive impact one by one. Contributing to a better world and working in a dynamic team with other top talents on concrete social projects. And preferably during and after the YPP start acting as a ‘change agent’ within their own organization.

My advice to the current generation of leaders is to think this over. Better understand what young talents are looking for. Engage with them in a deeper conversation. Harness the enormous potential, creativity and innovative power of future leaders in this important agenda. And to think about the competencies that the board members and (senior) managers of the near future must acquire. I am convinced that the YPP actively responds to this and contributes to this necessary competence development.

The SDG 6 of the United Nations explicitly focuses on the availability and sustainable management of water for all. Raising the water efficiency awareness among over its 19500 members, United Nations Global Compact assures that now is the time for companies to evaluate their water performance in order to address global challenges and ultimately stay business competitive.

The questions is: how can businesses – at the beginner or the advanced stage – create water efficiency leading to a positive sustainable shift? The answer is complex, as corporate water footprint consists of water used along all the process of production of goods or services – used throughout the supply chain process until it reaches end-users or consumers.

Before diving into action, private companies have to access the motivations and benefits of following the effective water management path. We might conditionally group them into pure economical (or financial) and near-financial reasons.

Economical motivations and means to success

Starting off, businesses must take a closer look at their daily operations and implement some simple and accessible measures. Here we turn to water-efficient devices which detect or fix water leaks, among those are: rainwater collection tools, eco-labeled equipment, low-volume showers, water sensors, and others. According to recent data, companies can save up to 30% of their water spendings through those simple and low cost actions.

Moving to a higher level of awareness and water management, a number of UN Global Compact members, such as Heineken, Royal DSM, Shell, and others state that they not only reduce water consumption globally but treat water circularly by means of reuse and recycling. Dutch government portal indicates that: “companies should make their water as clean as possible before releasing it into the sewer. They should also take measures to pollute water as little as possible”.

Depending on the country settings and local demands, wastewater can be treated for irrigation or industry use, applying advanced technologies – such as zero liquid discharge and others. In water reuse process, creating public-private partnerships for water treatment and detailed water and energy reporting is beneficial.

According to the latest CDP Global Water Report 2020, the rewards from using innovative techniques can be significant. For instance, the maximum total value of water-related opportunities reported through CDP was US$711 billion.

Near-financial motivations, means, and outcomes

This is clear now which financial outcomes companies can achieve through efficient water management. Apart from the numerical values, they also become part of sustainable-minded community with sustainability embedded in their mission.

Modern businesses – through annual reports, statements, and water programs – create loyalty amongst their 1st, 2nd and 3rd tier stakeholders: employees, customers, partners, and others.

Belonging to global water programs, such as the CEO Water Mandate – an initiative by the UN Global Compact that mobilizes business leaders on water, sanitation, and the Sustainable Development Goals – creates like-minded community of business leaders and strengthens brand image. In The Netherlands, already five Global Compact members, such as Aequator Groen & Ruimte, Akzo Nobel N.V., Heineken N.V., Royal DSM, and Royal Philips NV joined the CEO Water Mandate. Needless to say, active businesses have higher potential to attract investments, media and NGO attention, therefore, create more partnerships and – again – business opportunities.

To move the needle on this topic, on 12 May 2022, Global Compact Network Netherlands is partnering with Closer Cities for a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Conference taking place in Almere, Netherlands on systems approach related to water, energy, and food.

Global Compact Network Netherlands sees water-related objectives of companies as significant contribution to sustainable development and its 17 Goals. We encourage businesses to safeguard water resources in order to achieve short-term and longer-term value, sustainable revenues, and enhanced brand value from healthy stakeholder relations.

Resources

[1] https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/our-work/environment/water

[2] https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/advantages-water-efficiency-business

[3] https://www.unglobalcompact.org/participation/report/cop/create-and-submit/advanced/448386

[4] https://annualreport.dsm.com/ar2020/report-by-the-managing-board/planet/water-security.html

[5] https://www.shell.com/sustainability/environment/water.html

[6] https://www.aquatechtrade.com/news/water-treatment/sustainable-water-essential-guide/

[7] https://www.gea.com/en/binaries/zld-wastewater-agrochemicals-mining-oil-brine-gea_tcm11-34824.pdf

[8] https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/5-trends-public-private-partnerships-water-supply-and-sanitation

[9] https://cdn.cdp.net/cdp-production/cms/reports/documents/000/005/577/original/CDP_Water_analysis_report_2020.pdf?1617987510

[10] https://unglobalcompact.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Global-compact-NL-Stakeholder-Inclusion.FINAL_.pdf